City of Spencer, TN Selects Scinor to Replace Failing Membranes and Optimize System Performance

Since 2010, the City of Spencer, Tennessee has operated a microfiltration system at the heart of its 2 MGD drinking water treatment plant. Over time, the original membranes became severely fouled and the incidence of fiber breakage increased significantly. Coupled with a particularly challenging source water high in manganese and the need to dose coagulant in-line, it became evident that membrane replacement, pretreatment upgrades and overall system optimization was necessary.

After trialing Scinor membrane modules by replacing several original filters, the City contracted with Scinor in May of 2017 to replace all remaining original filters using Scinor’s state-of-the-art Direct Retrofit membrane modules. Scinor’s Direct Retrofit membrane modules require no system or programming changes and feature industry-leading TIPS PVDF membranes for superior strength and permeability.

Scinor’s engineering team also provided process guidance, plant operation improvements and remote monitoring services to support the City in efficiently managing the variable and often challenging seasonal water conditions. The installation of 54 of Scinor’s SMT600-P50 modules was completed in less than 1 day with assistance from plant operations staff.

Prior to the purchase of membrane replacements, Scinor had worked with the City since 2016 by providing on-demand field service, process support and system hardware replacement. The responsiveness to the City’s needs and ability to provide a full-service solution at an economical cost addressed a critical need for the budget-constrained City.

"We’ve worked with Scinor since the early part of 2016 to begin to get a handle on the status of our treatment plant and develop a long-term plan for improving operations while working within our budget," stated City of Spencer Mayor Robinson. "Scinor’s responsiveness, expertise and robust membranes really set them apart from other suppliers and they have been key to our recent success. They were also willing to work within our financial limitations and structure a long-term payment arrangement so that rate increases weren’t necessary, which was a priority for us."

Coupled with process improvements and more efficient system operation, performance of the newly installed Scinor membranes has exceeded all expectations and has positioned the City for a successful long-term outcome.

Scinor direct retrofit P50 modules installed on two skids at Spencer WTP 

City of Albany OR Upgrades Drinking Water Plant with Scinor Direct Retrofit UF Membranes

The City of Albany, Oregon contracted with Scinor Water America to replace 320 submerged NIPS PVDF modules supplied by the original system manufacturer with state-of-the-art Scinor Direct Retrofit TIPS PVDF modules. The Scinor SMT600-S26 modules, a plug-and-play replacement, were installed in April 2017 at the Albany-Millersburg Water Treatment Plant in Albany, Oregon. The 12 MGD plant was put in service in 2005 and treats water from the Santiam River. Pretreatment is accomplished using coagulant (ACH) prior to filtration. The City continuously evaluates membrane performance and identified half of the modules from one cell were quickly approaching the end of their service life. The planned life-cycle replacement would enable the plant to restore membrane performance, fiber integrity and operational consistency.

Main: Submerged UF Module Rack and Membrane Installation

Inset: Membrane Tank with Racks

A City review panel comprised of senior water department personnel conducted a thorough cost and quality comparison of replacement options and concluded that the Scinor alternative was preferable due to advantages in product filtration capacity, operating conditions, warranty, life cycle cost and customer service. In addition, the direct retrofit modules allow the City to qualify a replacement for a product which previously required sole source procurement. Scinor direct retrofit products are approved by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the State regulating body for potable water.

Initial performance testing of the newly installed modules indicate that the cell was able to operate at design capacity (2-3x normal flow) with very low rate of fouling. Integrity testing verified that the new filters produce a very low pressure decay result indicating excellent fiber integrity.

The TIPS UF membranes, which are utilized in Scinor’s entire product portfolio, are expected to provide the end user with greater permeability, strength, fouling resistance and service life. The direct retrofit of the originally supplied membranes emphasizes the strong demand for high-performing replacing filters and is currently being replicated by other end users experiencing similar operational issues. 

West Basin MWD Awards Scinor Water America Key Contract for Full Replacement of Phase IV Membranes at Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo, CA

NEW YORK - May 19, 2017 After extensive pilot testing and full scale demonstration, West Basin Municipal Water District ("West Basin") located in Carson, CA has awarded Scinor Water America, LLC ("Scinor") a contract for full replacement of the existing submerged polypropylene microfiltration membranes within its Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility ("ECLWRF") located in El Segundo, CA.

Due to significantly reduced capacity, high operational costs and short service life, West Basin evaluated alternatives for its submerged polypropylene system for several years. On-site testing confirmed the Scinor TIPS PVDF hollow-fiber membranes operated well on the challenging source water while producing up to 40% more product water under the same operating conditions, thereby substantially easing the capacity limitations currently experienced by the District enabling them to fulfil their continuing contractual obligations to their customers. The TIPS (Thermally-Induced Phase Separation) manufacturing process utilized by Scinor is unique in that it produces a membrane barrier with exceptional permeability, oxidant tolerance and durability.

The installation is expected to be completed in the second half of 2017 and will be Scinor's largest in the US and third largest globally.

Inset: Edward C. Little WRF; 

Main: Phase IV Submerged Membrane Filtration System

"This is a landmark achievement for our team in the U.S. and a critical step in our company's growth", stated Scinor Water founder and CEO Ms. Hongmei Wu. "We are honored to service West Basin, a recognized leader in adopting cutting-edge technology and water recycling standards, and to provide a much-needed solution to their short and long-term water production needs. This project will serve as an example for other prospective customers experiencing similar issues".

Membrane treatment consultants Separation Processes, Inc (SPI) and contract operations firm SUEZ are key players in the project which includes converting the current system from polypropylene to PVDF operating conditions and well as implementing automation and controls capabilities that are in line with today's standards.

Tom Poschmann, Scinor Water America President and CEO, added "this is a result of a truly dedicated project team, including West Basin, Suez, SPI and Scinor. We are extremely pleased in the performance of our industry-leading TIPS PVDF product, and the immediate value that our direct-retrofit module configuration has demonstrated to West Basin. The decision to convert the system from Polypropylene to TIPS PVDF is one that will enable the system to achieve far greater throughput while increasing operational flexibility and cleaning recovery. This is especially critical given the challenging source water that the membranes treat. We look forward to being a technology partner with West Basin for many years to come."

ECLWRF has undergone multiple phased expansions over the last 20 years to keep up with demand. The plant employs an advanced treatment train for potable reuse, treating municipal secondary wastewater effluent from the City of Los Angeles' Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant through ozonation, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, UV/AOP and disinfection before being used for both barrier protection and industrial process makeup water.  West Basin's 2006 expansion included installing 2,500 submerged polypropylene filtration modules supplied by another manufacturer. Originally designed to produce an average capacity of 14 MGD, actual production has been reduced by approx. 50%.

West Basin, a water wholesaler of imported and recycled water, is located in coastal Los Angeles County and serves approximately 1 million people in 17 cities along with several large industrial refinery clients. Over the past twenty years, the District has continued to decrease its reliance on imported water and has relied more heavily on wastewater recycling, necessitating the need for advanced membrane filtration technology to produce the quality required for their customers. To date, the District has conserved over 165 billion gallons of potable water through their recycled water initiatives. As a result, the District has become an industry leader due to their success in creating five types of fit-for-purpose recycled water, easing demand on the scarce local water supply, environmental protection of coastal groundwater reservoirs against seawater intrusion and reducing energy associated with importing water.

For more information, contact:

Amy Rocha
Communications Manager
West Basin Municipal Water District
Phone: 310.660.6218
Email: AmyR@westbasin.org

Contact
Joe Tardio
Scinor Water America, LLC

Scinor Completes Direct UF Retrofit at Waste-to-Energy Plant, Marking First Of Its Kind in North America

Experiencing short service life and production limitations commonly associated with hollow-fiber membranes manufactured using the NIPS method (Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation), the end user elected to upgrade their system utilizing Scinor membrane technology. As a result, Scinor was selected to install SMT600-P56 direct retrofit membranes to replace membranes supplied by the original equipment supplier. Installation was completed in March 2017. The UF system is designed to reuse treated industrial and municipal wastewater to feed a downstream RO for cooling tower makeup water.  The TIPS UF membranes, which are utilized in Scinor’s entire product portfolio, are expected to provide the end user with greater permeability, strength, fouling resistance and service life. Scinor's breakthrough direct retrofit technology has provided industrial end users the option to competitively source UF membrane replacements while offering a superior level of performance, enhanced system reliability and increased protection of downstream treatment processes. The direct retrofit of the originally supplied membranes is the first of its kind in North America and is expected to be replicated by other end users experiencing similar operational issues. 

Click here to learn more about Scinor's game-changing direct retrofit membrane solutions.

Scinor SMT600-P56 direct UF retrofit shown on left

Scinor TIPS retrofit membranes demonstrate zero fiber breakages for 15 months in operation

San Juan River Village Metro District in Durango, Colorado installed Scinor SMT600-P50 direct retrofit membranes in September 2015 to replace their aging membranes supplied by the original system manufacturer. Since installation, the Scinor TIPS Ultrafiltration membranes have demonstrated superior performance, including zero fiber breakages since the first day of operation. Replacing membranes has considerably reduced average operating TMP and chemical cleaning intervals. Scinor's breakthrough direct retrofit technology provided the small municipality with an alternative membrane replacement option not previously available, enabling them to reduce replacement costs while ensuring excellent treatment quality and reliability. Scinor's full line of direct retrofit membranes have been reviewed and approved by the state regulating authority, CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment).

Click here to learn more about Scinor's game-changing direct retrofit membrane solutions.